Vehicle construction



Dec. 12, 1944. -J. z. FEIGELSON 2,364,842

VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed `Oc'c..25. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l LEI- i. 2 J; z. ,ff/@asm Dec. 12, 1944. 1 Z FEiGELsON 2,364,842

VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED:

PATENT oi-FICE This invention. relates to heavy` duty vehicles and more particularly tc trailers of the type which are equipped with pneumatic tires] and4 are attached to a motor truck` or other towing selfpropell'ed'- vehicle and are designed to cooperate with the tractor vehicle to support and transport loads of considerable length and weight.-

The primary objectof the invention is -toprovidea dev-ice of the class described which sim# pleinconstruction and which is sturdyr and ein# cient in use. i'

Another" object is' to' provide a i'lelfiiclex in' which the load: is supported uponsprings exten-ding transversely to thei'ine of draft, the construction being such that no direct connection is@required1 betweentheI vehicles bolster and' the spr-ing. ends.-

Another object is to provide af vel'licleI h) fore' and aft movement of -the load supportingA bolster isfavoid'e'd. s v

Stil-l a-notl'ierV objectisl 6oA eliminate loadl sway! occasioned from high loading andi-irregularitiesof surface over which the vehicle passes:

V A furti-ier obi ect is toprovidea vehicl'e whichl the direct connection between ytl'iebolsterand the spring ends is eliminated. A

1 Still a'notl'ierv object is toprovide-acoristriicti'c'ii` by which upward movement of the load'- support'- st'ructurerelative to the chassis is limited.

It is also an object' t'oprov-ide` vehicle cori-V st'ruction `vvlii'cliavoids bothI transverse and fore l and aft movements 'and combinations thereof which'- tendtoprod-uce a zi'gs'zag movement' of the road and a resultant irregular i'ine' oftravel by' thevel'iicle;

The' foregoing? objectsy are primary" obects' and will be` morel fully apparent, together'l with othera objects; from a consideration of .the following description .taken in connection with the accom-v panyingdrawings' .in which: v

Fig. I'is a top view of a portion of a trailer embodying the invention, parts being cut away to more clearly show novel features of the construction;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

with tiresaf fit. is to be understood that aaai `wheels as shown may be; usedor singl Wheelsv l may be utilized-as is wel-L knovvnin the art.-

Mounted upon support legs 4- on the axle I isi4 atransverse sil-1 5- adapted-to support the load to be carried by the' Wheels- 2- c turn there is` ssi- 'cured centrally of the Isill 5V a spring or pair of springs G comprising a plurality of flexible leaves 1 which arehel'd `innestedrelaton by means of a clamp which comprises a saddlermember .f8 .su-re v mount-ing `the springs E and securely lclam-pini thereto-by means of clamp bolts 9 passing throughopenings-iir a sideward extension Hlv on the upper flange' of the sill 5; Itis to be noted that the spring E hasarr upwardly facing arcuate surface1 tig-.thereboing no eyes or specially iinished ends thereon. A.This feature-of the construction elim-i.- rratesi A certainu ,diiculties arid cooperates with other elements of the novel construction of the' mventiomtoi obtain desirable features of opera-f tionl til-iat willi-more* fully appear.

-therletoandl have openings' I8 'throng-h2 which tha 'ends ofi` the springs .6` passi: Extending trans` y veilsel-y oi eachf of theopenings i8 isa support L podorpin? kswhiohi engages the arcuatesurfacef Fig. 3 is a sectional view in elevation taken on is -ii'esifl-ien'iily'.cari-riedl-V Itl may behere noted' thatf the supportpad or pin I9 may constitutfa-metfali conta-ct v'viiili-theE a `cuatesurface l5 or, i'fvdesire'd, as best shown- 'F1- tli'ef `I 9T may' bef pro-f vided: with antihfrictioi'i bearings 20?.- f

In -orc'ierv t'o rmaintaina bolster' if@ and the load-I vthereon properly positioned frelati-veft a medial plane through-the'fcarrialge'- assembly", tlie saddle member' 8f is provided Wilt-li a" bifurcated upwardly extiendi'ngprojection f5 vvlii'clil receives one erid cfa tof'cue" arnr '26 and apivotalconnection eifected therebetween by means of the pin 21. The opposite end of the torque arm 26 is attached to the load supporting assembly through spaced brackets 28 integral with one of the spring guides l1, a pin 29 passing through the brackets and arm serves the dual function of maintaining the n bolster in desired transverse position relative to the carriage assembly and also preventing the bolster from tipping forward or backward from any tendency of the supported load to move fornecessitates the use of a guiding yoke or like structure shown and hereafter explained as comprising arms 36 and 31 to prevent tipping of the bolster from fore and aft shifting tendencies of the supported load.

The torque arm or arms 26 hold the bolster I6` and the load thereon centrally of the spring 6 and there will be slight sliding movement between the arcuate surface I and the free ends of the spring pads or pins I9.

If the 4vehicle embodying the invention is operated over rough terrain, the chains 30 or a suitable type of shock absorber will restrain the spring pads I9 Vfrom leaving the arcuate surface I5 on the springs 6. These chains slack slightly upon loading of the springs and hence serve not only to restrain the members I9 from leaving the arcuate surface I5 but also prevent excessive quate connection between the coupling pole and' the supporting assembly. l

Additional paired brace arms 3'I may be pro-V vided to resist tipping of the spring and bolsterassembly. Ihese arms are attached to ears 38 on the forward face of the bolster I6. At their forward ends these arms merge in a head 40 provided with a spherical internal cavity which tsl about a head 4I secured to the guide 35. This structure provides a universal connection betweenthe yoke assembly andv the guide member. 35 and thus permits free vertical and tilting movement of the bolster.. I6 and the load supported thereby. At the same time, however, the spring assembly is restrained from forward on diagonal tilting or canting and thus the tendency for irregular travel of the direction due to load shifting is minimized. As previously pointed out,. however, the torque arm 26, and its connections with projection 25 and bracket 28'may be such 'as to p'revent tipping of the spring and bolster assembly and in such event-the arms 31 may be dispensed with and it is intended that this fea` ture is not imperative in the structurev of the invention.

Broadly, the invention comprehends a vehicle.,

construction of the class described which is simpleV in construction and which ,is sturdy and eflecf` tive in the transportation of heavy loads.

, What is claimed is:

l. In a vehicle construction, a sill, a guide member attached thereto and extending therefrom, paired converging arms attached to said sill and said guide member, a transverse spring'V ward or backward. Such construction, however,

mounted on said sill and presenting an upwardly facing arcuate load supporting surface, a bolster resting upon said surface proximate its ends, a saddle member clamped centrally of said spring, a torque arm pivotally attached to said saddle and bolster to restrain said members from relative lateral movement, and a brace yoke assembly having its spaced ends pivotally attached to the bolster and a universal connection between theopposite end of thevyoke member and the guide member. v

2. In a vehicle construction, a sill, a guide v1 l,member attached thereto and extending transversely therefrom, paired converging arms attached to said vsill and said guide member, a

transverse spring mounted on said sill and pre- Y senting an upwardly facing arcuate load supportf ing surface," abolster resting upon said surface proximate its ends, a saddle member centrally of said spring, and a torque arm pivotally attached to said saddle and support members and operable to restrain said members from relative lateral and tilting movement.

- 3. In a vehicle construction the combination of a: Aspring assembly including a transverse spring, having an upwardly facing arcuate surface, a bolstervabove said Vspring,'spring guides attached toVY said bolster and extending downwardly fore and aft of the endsof the spring, support pads in said guides in engagement with said surface proximate the spring ends, and an arm ypivotally connected to one of said guides and the spring assembly to prevent side sway.

V4. The combination of a vehicle spring structure Where theload leaf has a fiat smooth end having no connections thereon, a bolster, a spring guide fixture to rest on and near the ends of the spring, said xtures fittingv over the spring end to restrain fore and aft movement of the bolster, and means pivoted to the spring and one fixture to prevent side sway.

5. The combination of a vehicle spring structureA where the load leaf has a at smooth end having no connections thereon, a bolster, a spring guide xture to rest onaand near the ends of the spring, said fixtures fitting o ver the spring end to restrain fore'and aft movement of the bolster, and means `pivoted to the spring and one fixture to prevent side swayand tilting.

.6., The combination of a vehicle spring structure where the load leaf has a fiat smooth endv having' no connections thereon, a bolster, a spring -v guide fixture to rest on and nearthe ends of the spring, said fixtures tting over the spring end to restrainkfore and aft movement of the bolster, means pivoted to the'spring and'one'fixture to prevent side sway and tilting, and additional means pivoted to the` bolster land to the vehicle structure to prevent'tilting ofthe spring. 

